A recent article by Victoria Gill in BBC News discusses how humans share a genetic mechanism that is similar to how dogs become obese. Obesity is a critical global health crisis that can be linked to numerous health conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. A UK scientist discovered that some dogs have genetic mutations that could make them feel chronically hungry, causing them to overeat. Similarly, genetic changes were also found in humans, which helped explain why it could be more difficult for some to control their weight compared to others.
Through particular gene alterations of chemical signals, it sends cues to the brain saying that the body has not had enough to eat. This research discovers an understanding of why one might struggle with their weight more than others and offers hope to scientists to find new treatments that target hunger-related genes. Also, as scientists continue to develop into the genetics of obesity, we may uncover additional factors that contribute to understanding weight gain and how to combat it.
I am not super suprised that scientists found a genetic mutation overlap between dogs and humans due to the significant amount of DNA that is shared between the two species! I wonder if this will spark more understanding into other aspects of health like behavior and emotion to see if those correlate as well, as both are expressed by dogs and humans in various ways. Overall, I think it is impressive that science can be used to better comprehend one species by studying another.
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